Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-02-11

AOuE - 6OlueGAlng COUlQ uOI De QON0
to warn them. Mike saw it all now,
and for q moment stood, her eyes
dilated with horror, while she saw the
scoundrels shake their fists toward
her way and heard an imprecation.
Then they passed on and Mike, grow
ing cold in the sudden extremity, turn
ed and sped toward the depot. III.
| The rail had been removed ON q
curve which was shaded ON the west
side by high bank so that at half
past five it was quite dusk there, and
as the train always came in on q
| down grade they came at full speed.
So Mike thought to herself, 'lm so
| glad / came, for now I'll hurry and
telegraphto Stratford before the train
comes by, and we'll see, MIR. Tramps,
how your little scheme comes out.
She reached the office and looked at
the clock. Five minutes to five! and
the train left Stratford at 500. Well,
eight minutes was more than plenty
OF time if she could ''raise'' Srratford
She grasped the key. 'Sd.sd-stl"
clicked the instrument. Never before
was there so impatient All operator
on that line. With her eyes ON the
clock, which seemed then, if ever, to
say er-never-forever,"
she kept up the call. Somebody on
the other side "broke her" twice; but
she gave all the danger signals she
could think OF and kept on. The mo-
ments kept on-one, two; three, four,
fve-slowly pealed the old clock-each
stroke an agony to the GIRL.
| MnorwH1Ja,
could not operate at all, and the boy
who served asgeneral chore-boy about
the place, had gone for the cows, and
there was NO one to answer the cali
upon which SO much depended.
A few minutes and it was too late;
and Mike was in q new dilemma..
MIKE closed the key in despair. She
did not know the train signals, but
seized the red flag under the old desk
and ran for dear life-literal]y thedear
life OF her fellow creatures. Not till
she got to the wrecked place did she
remember that she must go beyond
the curve to stop them or she would
be of no use. Already she heard the
approaching train rumble in the dis
tance. Faster, faster she sped round
the curve straight on up the track.
| She could see them nowcoming in. On
they rushed; the great engine bent on
destroying Its precious freight. Mike
stopped in the midst OF the. track and
frantically swung her redi flag, but still
the monster rushed toward her, show.
ing no abatement of speed;
Meanwhile tine engineer and fireman
had seen the slight form: of. the girl
and the fireman stood aghast to see
the engineer so, utterless regardless of
her.
.Stop,. MANI he shouted: "don't
you see the girl?"
eyes," said the half engineer.
"Why don't the little fool get out of
| my way? Ellteach her, aEdimade
| no movement to stop.
Mike waited with sinking heart-O,
why did everything go against herr
Was it the Will Of God thatthis dread
| full thing must happen? The engine
! was upon her and she ran,upon'a jut-
ting rock still waving her scarlet flag
but as the engine was alongside of her
| she heard he'sharp click OF the call.
bell in the engine and saw the fireman
push the engineer aside and reverse
the engine. The conductor, who had
just seen her and; excitedly pulled the
bell-rope, jumped of and came to-.
ward her. But the reaction was too
much for poor Mike, and she could
only gasp OUT: Ground the curve"
and then she was white heap, with
no sense of anything.
| Passengers rushed out, and, after
some had been,to the curve and seen
what the little girl had saved them
from, no lady in the land could be so
Loyalty waited upon as she was when
she had been lifted into the car and
told modestly her little story. It was
! some little time before tho track, was
ready for the train to proceed, and,
when Mike got out at her own, sta
ton, many kind hands pressed; hers
i'll farewell, and, the conductor left
something in her hand, too, just as
the train left. saying: "You are the
bravest little woman in the state"
| Not until she had been in the offic ,
a good half hour with her father, who
had got home. from. his lawsuit and
wondered what made the train late
and where Mike had gone to, and
told him; all the story, did Mike think
to look at the .packet. Then she read
a. note: will: Miss Eunice Markham
accept the. accompanying from tho
! friends she so, braNely saved August
20. 1892"
| The Was wrapped around $500
| in bank notes,
90; papa! now YOU can pay off the
! mortgage on the house." cried Mike;
| and the father said:
II declare Nick. you get higher wages
as. agent than dor
| The superintendent of the @: g. T..
railroad company came down, to, Par
kerstown' that week, and soon there
was a. vacancy in one Of the best Of
fees; Of the company IN neighboring
| city and Mr.. Markham was rendered
the situation He accepted. $50, Nix.
lie can have the schooling she wants so
much" he said;: and today Miss Eu-
nice Markham is one of the. most
promising pupils i'm the high school OF
that city. Bat more than ever is she
the pride Of her fathers heart, who
lnever tires Of telling of the afternoon
when tshis girl was station agent"
But, after all, you would never take
her for heroine. s
Costly Sympathy. F..
.eDo You know" said a. well-known
resident Of Illinois, "that it cost Mrs.
~ - m EN1